1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and method for setting a rotating frame animal trap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years there has been increasing public concern about the use of leg hold animal traps which operate by holding the animal until it dies of starvation or exposure. Animals often will gnaw or twist off a leg in order to escape from such a trap. As a result, humane animal traps, such as the rotating frame trap, which are designed to kill the animal quickly are being used extensively in trapping.
A rotating frame animal trap comprises a pair of similar generally rectangular frames which are pivotally connected at adjacent sides for rotation about a common axis. The end members of the frames form jaws that lie in a common plane and the side members extending from the jaw-forming ends support the jaws. Each of the sides has a central portion in which the frames are pivotally connected through adjacent sides for rotation about the common axis. The traps are provided with trigger means for releasably maintaining the trap in the set position. Each trap has at least one actuator which is capable of rapidly and forcefully rotating the frame. An actuator has two arms spring-biased at one end so that the other end which terminates in rings encircling adjacent sides of both frames on opposite sides of the common axis would move apart, if unobstructed, to a distance substantially greater than the length of the frame sides. When the trigger is released, the frames rotate rapidly about the common axis through an angle of about 90.degree. and the jaw-forming ends forcefully strike the body of the animal that has released the trap.
Because the rings at the ends of the actuator completely encircle the side members of the frames and are capable of exerting a powerful grip, it is difficult and often dangerous to compress the spring-biased actuator and set the trap. There have been instances where trappers have caught both hands in such traps and experienced great difficulty in attempting to free them. Trappers have also experienced difficulty in freeing caught animals from the traps because of their powerful grip. Rotating frame animal traps of this type are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,010,245, 3,816,955, 4,107,868 and 4,128,961 issued to Frank R. Conibear. Such traps are known in the trade generally as Conibear traps.
A number of devices have been developed for setting Conibear traps. Each of these devices, however, has limitations and drawbacks which preclude their widespread use by all trappers. One such trap setting device is a long pair of tongs. To set a rotating frame trap using such tongs, the trap in the closed position with the two frames extended in a common plane by means of the actuators is laid out so that the ends of the actuators which are spring-biased are pointed directly away from the trap. The hooked ends of the tongs are placed over the two arms of one of the actuators and compressed. A safety hook on the actuator is then set to keep the actuator arms compressed. The second actuator is then similarly compressed by the tongs. With the springbiased ends of the actuators pointing away from the trap, one pair of jaws is pulled apart and rotated about the common axis through an angle of about 90.degree. until each of the jaws is adjacent one of the jaws from the opposite end of the trap. The trigger attached to the middle of one of the jaws is then set in a notched dog attached to the middle of an adjacent jaw. The safety hooks on the actuators are then released so that the trap is in the set position.
Another device which can be used for setting a Conibear trap is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,463 to Treadwell. This trap setter comprises a hollow vertical cylinder having a base or foot piece attached to its lower end perpendicular thereto and a downwardly extending hook attached to its upper end and a T-shaped manually controlled plunger rod slidable within the cylinder and having an upwardly extending hook attached to its lower end which extends through a vertical slot in the cylinder. With the closed trap placed in a vertical position, the hook attached to the upper end of the vertical cylinder is placed around the ring at the end of the actuator which encircles the upper portions of adjacent side members of the trap frames and the hook attached to the lower end of the plunger rod is placed around the end of the actuator which encircles the lower portions of adjacent side members of the trap frames. By placing a foot on top of the base and pulling the plunger rod upward the spring-biased actuator is compressed. The safety hook on the actuator is then set to keep the actuator arms compressed. This procedure is repeated and the trap is then set as described above with respect to the use of the tongs.
A device similar to the Treadwell trap setter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,872 to Hall et al. Although no reference is made in the patent to the Conibear trap, it appears that the trap setter disclosed could be employed to set a Conibear trap. The Hall trap setter additionally comprises a releasable locking mechanism for maintaining the two hooks a desired distance apart. Hall also provides the lower end of the cylinder with a foot ring instead of a base plate.
A further trap setting device which appears to be suitable for use in setting Conibear traps is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,945 to Hession et al. This device comprises a hollow cylinder with an upwardly extending hook attached to its lower end and a downwardly extending hook attached to the lower end of a rod movable within the cylinder which is slidable in a slot through the side of the cylinder. A ratchet attached to the upper end of the cylinder applies mechanical advantage to the movable rod within the cylinder. The ratchet is operated manually to compress the arms of the actuators of the trap which can then be set as described above.
Each of these prior art trap setting devices, however, has certain drawbacks which preclude its widespread acceptance by trappers. the tongs are long and awkward to use often requiring both hands to compress the arms of the actuators, particularly with the large rotating frame traps. Moreover, because of their size and shape, the tongs cannot be easily carried around by the trapper who often must transport a lot of equipment including many traps. Each additional piece of equipment only increases the hardships already attendant trapping. The trap setting devices of Hall et al. and Treadwell suffer from similar drawbacks. Although they can be operated with one hand, these devices are relatively heavy and large in size and therefore awkward and inconvenient for trappers to transport and use. The trap setting device of Hession et al. possesses the same limitations and drawbacks with respect to size, shape and weight. Thus, none of the prior art trap setting devices suitable for use in setting rotating frame animal traps provides the trapper with a simple lightweight, readily usable and easily portable device capable of setting all sizes of rotating frame traps. Moreover, none of the prior art devices is mechanically simple so that it can be easily manufactured. All of these devices are made up of numerous parts, all of which add to the complexity and weight of the devices.